The Confessions of a Rev Deferred
by szhismine
Summary: Alternate ending to 'What Happens to a Rev Deferred'. Rev and Harper discuss important issues. Nonslash.


The Confessions of a Rev Deferred  
  
Author: Szhismine  
  
Rating: General.  
  
Spoilers: 'Ouroboros', 'Rev'. Don't read if you don't want to know.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own DROM, nor the episode, nor Harper, nor Rev, nor the writer of the ep . . . you get the point, I have nothing. Only my imagination and passion towards Andromeda.  
  
Characters: Harper and Rev, non-slash.  
  
Genre: Angst  
  
Summary: Rev and Harper have a deep discussion about certain issues.  
  
Author's Note: Nureek posted a challenge saying the Harper/Rev reunion in 'WHTARD' was somewhat ruined and someone should do a better one, and I agree. All that should have been said wasn't said. So, I am doing an alternate ending. Now I don't know what Rev was actually feeling, and if he actually felt this way, but i'm taking a shot at it. It'll just continue from the episode. And to let everyone know, this is a short, one shot piece. Different from my other fics. If enough people like it, maybe i'll do a sequel to the episode. Which is typical of me. So maybe it's not so different. ;) But this is the shortest fic I ever wrote.  
  
************  
  
"Harper . . . it is good to see you again. How's your stomach?"  
  
"Empty. Thank God."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Wow . . . it's always good to see you, Rev."  
  
"Better to see you."  
  
***********  
  
"Ow!" Harper exclaimed, jerking back his burned hand. "Son of a . . ."  
  
"Harper, are you alright?" Andromeda asked, her hologram appearing.  
  
"Yeah, i'm fine. Lucky for you."  
  
"And lucky for Rev Bem, who is on his way to slipstream core."  
  
"He's coming?"  
  
"Apparently. He must be if he asked me where you were."  
  
"Huh. Fancy that. Alright, well, thanks for letting me know."  
  
"You're welcome." Andromeda shimmered out of view.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
'What do I tell him?' Rev thought.  
  
Since he retired to his room, he kept asking himself if he should go see Harper. He missed him, and was awfully relieved to see him alive. But all he wanted to say . . . he couldn't say it in front of everyone. So he asked Andromeda for Harper's location, and here he was, walking towards slipstream core, desperately trying to think of something to say.  
  
'I guess I should tell him how I regret my actions . . . may the Divine make this short and sweet.'  
  
Rev entered the slipstream core. He could see Harper fixing something. 'Typical,' he thought. 'At least nothing changed.'  
  
"Need some help?" Rev Bem asked.  
  
Harper didn't look up from what he was doing. "Yeah, sure, can you please hand me my nanowelder?" Rev gave it to him. "Thanks."  
  
After a few minutes, Harper was done. "There." He turned to Rev. "Did you want something?"  
  
Rev nodded. "Yes, actually. I wanted to apologize."  
  
Harper wasn't expecting that. "For what?"  
  
"For leaving when you needed me the most."  
  
Harper was stunned. "Look, Rev . . ."  
  
Rev held up a hand, silencing him. "It was completely selfish of me. I knew your time was drawing to and end, and if I would have stayed . . ."  
  
"Rev, no, don't apologize," Harper interupted. "I'm not mad at you for leaving. It would have been selfish of us, and especially me, if we would have gone after you," he said.  
  
**********  
  
"That's the entire message." Rommie announced.  
  
"The darkest places? I don't like the sound of that." Trance said.  
  
"Me neither. I say we track him down and drag him back here, whether he wants to come or not." Harper agreed.  
  
**********  
  
Harper shook the memory from his mind. "You did what you had to do."  
  
"What I had to do was stay with my friend," Rev finished.  
  
Harper was taken aback. "Rev, it isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself for things you couldn't control. And it was crazy on the Andromeda. You wouldn't have wanted to be here. Besides, i'm fine now. No harm done," he said casually.  
  
Rev Bem detected the 'It's a big deal, but we'll say it isn't' tone in his voice. "Harper, I missed you. I know you--all of you--missed me. And I wish I could have shared your pain with you. I would gladly have carried the burden that was on your shoulders--or rather, the burden in your stomach."  
  
Harper chuckled at that, and became serious. "You've been through enough pain, Rev. More than you could handle. I had my fair share."  
  
"There is no fair share of hurt, Harper. And I will continue feeling my shame, even if you say I need not to." With that, Rev turned and left.  
  
"Rev, wait!" Rev Bem stopped at the door and turned around.  
  
Now that Harper had Rev's attention, he didn't know how to use it. "Rev, it was hell up here," he started. Rev moved closer to him. "After we got your message, my Magog eggs started to hatch, and I had only a week to live." He sighed before continuing.  
  
"Rev, you don't know what it was like. The ship turned into a 'cut-and- paste' nightmare. Trance changed places with herself. Hohne died," he whispered those last to words softly, as if to himself.  
  
Rev nodded. "I heard. People all over the galaxy were talking about it."  
  
"Rev, I couldn't save him," Harper blurted out.  
  
"I . . . didn't know that," he replied slowly.  
  
"He died, Rev. I was right there, holding his hand in mine, over the slipstream core, out there on the railing. And he just . . . fell. I couldn't hold onto him. And what's even worse is that I could have fixed it. I could have destroyed the machine that started the whole mess, everything would have gone back the way it was, and I--"  
  
"Would be dead," Rev finished for him. He went over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Harper, you're going through guilt. You had a difficult time, you need to get through it, and you can't do it alone. I should have been there with you," he said sadly.  
  
Harper put a hand on Rev Bem's shoulder. "Rev, you're going through guilt. You had a difficult time, you need to get through it, and you can't do it alone," he repeated, mimicking Rev's voice.  
  
Rev laughed. So did Harper. "Ah, thank you Harper. I needed a good laugh, and I can always expect one from you."  
  
"Thanks. You're great to talk to." Harper became serious again. "Rev, are you sure you won't stay?"  
  
Rev nodded. "Yes, I am afraid so. I have a new journey ahead of me. But I am sure we will see each other again."  
  
Harper smiled. "Yeah, we will."  
  
"It was wonderful talking to you."  
  
Harper nodded. "And it was wonderful talking to you. Rev, what happened to you? Why did you leave? I mean, I know why, but why at the time you did? Where did you go? How did you end up on Empyrium?"  
  
Rev looked at him. "I am not yet ready to share such things with anyone, Harper. But when I am, you will be the first to know. I promise."  
  
Harper looked at him. "Is that a promise you intend to keep?"  
  
Rev lowered his head in shame, realizing what Harper meant, but lifted up and looked at Harper straight in the eye. "Yes. It is."  
  
THE END 


End file.
